Tuple<T1, T2, T3, T4, T5>.IStructuralComparable.CompareTo Method

Compares the current Tuple<T1, T2, T3, T4, T5> object to a specified object by using a specified comparer and returns an integer that indicates whether the current object is before, after, or in the same position as the specified object in the sort order.

Although this method can be called directly, it is most commonly called by collection-sorting methods that include IComparer parameters to order the members of a collection, such as the Array.Sort(Array, IComparer) method.

Caution:

The IStructuralComparable.CompareTo method is intended for use in sorting operations. It should not be used when the primary purpose of a comparison is to determine whether two objects are equal. To determine whether two objects are equal, call the IStructuralEquatable.Equals(Object, IEqualityComparer) method.

The following example creates an array of Tuple<T1, T2, T3, T4, T5> objects that contain career statistical data for running backs in American professional football. The 5-tuple's components consist of the player's name, the number of games in which he played, the number of carries or attempts, the total number of yards gained, and the number of touchdowns scored. The example displays the components of each tuple in the array in unsorted order, sorts the array, and then calls ToString to display each tuple in sorted order. To sort the array, the example defines a generic YardsGained class that implements the IComparer interface and sorts the Tuple<T1, T2, T3, T4, T5> objects in descending order by the value of their fourth component (yards gained) rather than by their first component. Note that the example does not directly call the IStructuralComparable.CompareTo method. This method is called implicitly by the Array.Sort(Array, IComparer) method for each element in the array.